per amica silentia lunae

or, across the ferny brae with the evil voodoo celt

Every once in a while I hear some feedback from one of our participants, something that makes me realize how important the work is that we do here at Close Up actually is:

I don’t mean to be rude but like I hate government and I hate Social Studies and the reason I came on this trip was just sitting in school is one thing, when you hear about it and read about it and listening to the teacher can get annoying sometimes but I felt like if I came here I honestly didn’t come because I had questions, I just wanted to come. But now that I’m here I feel that, in a way, I know more now. Now I can go back to school, and now I understand this; now I can do this; I can see where this is coming from. Before, …I wasn’t one of those people: government this…I know this….But now, I can …I’ve been there, I’ve seen this, I know how this works. Also,…honestly I had no clue about some of the bills [used in mock Congress activity] but now I understand…Now, when I go back home, if I watched the news, CSPAN, I’ll see where they’re coming from and what they mean…Now I feel like on am on other people’s level.

This one particularly touched me... someone who came on our program for conflicted reasons, who was perhaps an unlikely person to be touched and changed by their experience. And yet... we did it. We opened their eyes, reached their mind, opened the door for understanding. Even against resistance and/or apathy. That is a wonderful testament to the work we do, to the excellence of our curriculum and our instructors and everyone else involved. I' proud to be a part of it.

We change lives- over 750,000 and counting. The nation (and the world) is a better place for our work. Something to treasure when road gets bumpy.

That kind of letter is worth so much more than about a million supervisor reviews - it is the proof that you are making a difference where it counts! Those are the ones you keep to look back on when it seems like maybe you are not paid enough or the workday is full of difficulties - that is why you do it. :)